Last week I painted a landscape (12” X 16”) that I was proud of. I decided to paint something similar but in a larger size (22” X 24), to be mounted on a wall board, thinking the challenges would be the same as the first one. Well I quickly learned that I was wrong. Painting a larger, almost full sheet of watercolour paper brings some new trials and tribulations.
I’ve found that most problems which occurred with a larger scale painting had to do with the nature of watercolor paper itself.
It also brought additional pressures. I certainly didn’t want to waste a large 300lb sheet of paper. I soon concluded after starting that I should not stress about wasting art materials because the painting might not turn out right
Washes on large surfaces
I have two sets of brushes that I use regularly: my wonderful Series 7 kolinsky round brushes and some synthetics (rounds and flats). The largest flat brush that I use on occasion is only 1.5”. This brush worked fine for my first painting. However, when it came the larger painting, 1.5” didn’t cover much surface. I pulled out a 2” brush that I had never used before.
Seeing me use this brush for a wash, you would have been sure that this was the first time that I attempted a graded wash before. It surely felt that way to me. The brush felt so foreign. This synthetic brush didn’t hold enough paint for an even coat of paint across the paper and I had to use many strokes and go over it numerous times to get the even wash we can normally produce in our sleep.
Working on a large surface, any unevenness in the wash seemed to be amplified. This all starts with having equal amount of water across the page. This sounds easier in theory than practice.
It’s important to have bigger brushes than you normally have and that you practice with them. If you use the same brushes that you use from the smaller paintings then you will find that it will take you much longer finish and the painting will not have the effect you are looking for.
A large grade wash is doable, but the first time is certainly a challenge. I’m sure the next time will be easier, but it will take a while to feel as comfortable as a smaller painting.
The paper
Watercolour paper of any brand is relatively soft, and mars easily in a way that often isn’t possible to take back. Just by pushing down too hard when you are drawing, lifting color, or erasing, you can create a low spot that grabs on to more pigment than other areas (because water flows to the lowest point)—and usually this creates an effect that you do not want.
If you’re forced to constantly reach across a large piece of paper, the risk of marring the paper becomes much more frequent. At my height (5’5″) it’s difficult to not lean over a large piece while painting—when working wet-in-wet, or doing washes for instance, I must keep your paper flat or slight incline.
Paint
Before you start you need to make sure that you have more paint than you would normal use as bigger paper and brushes mean a lot more paint will be used. Ensure you have large puddles ready. Re-mixing larger quantities of paint while the paper is drying is a stress we should avoid.
Details
The details of a large painting may appear more prominent or you may be tempted to add a greater amount of details. Be careful, not to let yourself get sucked in by all of the small details that you normally would not worry about on a smaller painting.
Framing
Because watercolours paper tends to bleach in the sun, paintings need to be framed under glass or “acrylic glass” to protect the paper from harm, and keep the paint away from water and sun. Framing a large painting would certainly be more expensive than a small one.
Luckily, my intention is to mount the paper to a wall board (less than $20) and protect the paper with a clear acrylic spray as I have recently been experimenting with.
Hopefully I haven’t discouraged anyone from producing large watercolours. Dimensions we choose for our artwork will always have a tremendous impact on the effect it has on viewers. Although much of the art world believed that “bigger is better”, I disagree. Whether you paint large or small depends not only on the subject -- some subjects simply demand a particular scale -- but also the effect you want to create. An enormous landscape will dominate a room in a way a series of small canvases never could.
Additionally, our ability as a painter and our understanding of the medium would improve dramatically with smaller paintings rather than concentrating on a couple large canvases. Practice makes perfect.. or better in my case;-) That’s assuming that smaller paintings take less time than larger paintings – this isn’t always true.
I’ve found that most problems which occurred with a larger scale painting had to do with the nature of watercolor paper itself.
It also brought additional pressures. I certainly didn’t want to waste a large 300lb sheet of paper. I soon concluded after starting that I should not stress about wasting art materials because the painting might not turn out right
Washes on large surfaces
I have two sets of brushes that I use regularly: my wonderful Series 7 kolinsky round brushes and some synthetics (rounds and flats). The largest flat brush that I use on occasion is only 1.5”. This brush worked fine for my first painting. However, when it came the larger painting, 1.5” didn’t cover much surface. I pulled out a 2” brush that I had never used before.
Seeing me use this brush for a wash, you would have been sure that this was the first time that I attempted a graded wash before. It surely felt that way to me. The brush felt so foreign. This synthetic brush didn’t hold enough paint for an even coat of paint across the paper and I had to use many strokes and go over it numerous times to get the even wash we can normally produce in our sleep.
Working on a large surface, any unevenness in the wash seemed to be amplified. This all starts with having equal amount of water across the page. This sounds easier in theory than practice.
It’s important to have bigger brushes than you normally have and that you practice with them. If you use the same brushes that you use from the smaller paintings then you will find that it will take you much longer finish and the painting will not have the effect you are looking for.
A large grade wash is doable, but the first time is certainly a challenge. I’m sure the next time will be easier, but it will take a while to feel as comfortable as a smaller painting.
The paper
Watercolour paper of any brand is relatively soft, and mars easily in a way that often isn’t possible to take back. Just by pushing down too hard when you are drawing, lifting color, or erasing, you can create a low spot that grabs on to more pigment than other areas (because water flows to the lowest point)—and usually this creates an effect that you do not want.
If you’re forced to constantly reach across a large piece of paper, the risk of marring the paper becomes much more frequent. At my height (5’5″) it’s difficult to not lean over a large piece while painting—when working wet-in-wet, or doing washes for instance, I must keep your paper flat or slight incline.
Paint
Before you start you need to make sure that you have more paint than you would normal use as bigger paper and brushes mean a lot more paint will be used. Ensure you have large puddles ready. Re-mixing larger quantities of paint while the paper is drying is a stress we should avoid.
Details
The details of a large painting may appear more prominent or you may be tempted to add a greater amount of details. Be careful, not to let yourself get sucked in by all of the small details that you normally would not worry about on a smaller painting.
Framing
Because watercolours paper tends to bleach in the sun, paintings need to be framed under glass or “acrylic glass” to protect the paper from harm, and keep the paint away from water and sun. Framing a large painting would certainly be more expensive than a small one.
Luckily, my intention is to mount the paper to a wall board (less than $20) and protect the paper with a clear acrylic spray as I have recently been experimenting with.
Hopefully I haven’t discouraged anyone from producing large watercolours. Dimensions we choose for our artwork will always have a tremendous impact on the effect it has on viewers. Although much of the art world believed that “bigger is better”, I disagree. Whether you paint large or small depends not only on the subject -- some subjects simply demand a particular scale -- but also the effect you want to create. An enormous landscape will dominate a room in a way a series of small canvases never could.
Additionally, our ability as a painter and our understanding of the medium would improve dramatically with smaller paintings rather than concentrating on a couple large canvases. Practice makes perfect.. or better in my case;-) That’s assuming that smaller paintings take less time than larger paintings – this isn’t always true.
"Can you believe it is not at all easier to draw a figure of about a foot high than to draw a small one? On the contrary, it is much more difficult." -- Van Gogh
Lastly, don’t think of your smaller paintings as studies for a larger piece. While it’s true that many small paintings may later be developed into a bigger work, try to think of your smaller paintings as complete and viable works of art on their own.
In the end, I'm satisfied with my larger painting. One thing I forgot to plan for was the difference in proportions - 12" X 16" doesn't translate well into an almost square painting. Adjustments must be made.
In the end, I'm satisfied with my larger painting. One thing I forgot to plan for was the difference in proportions - 12" X 16" doesn't translate well into an almost square painting. Adjustments must be made.
What's your experience with larger watercolours?
Today's treat is a painting from Tom Lynch
Today's treat is a painting from Tom Lynch
Danielle
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